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Genesis 1
Genesis 1 is the first chapter in the book of Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, making it the first chapter of the first book of the Bible. It primarily deals with the six days of creation. Outline The thirty one verses of Genesis 1 outline the creation of the heavens and the earth by God. Initially, the earth is formless and dark, with only the Spirit of God floating over it. God calls for light, which He labels as good, and separates it from the darkness, calling them "day" and "night". This is known as the first day. God then creates a vault, later called the "sky", to seperate the waters above from the waters below. This is known as the second day. God then calls for the waters under to gather in one place and make way for land. This leads to the creation of "land" and "sea". From there, the land is called to produce vegetation, fruits, and trees "according to their kind". Thus ends the third day. On the fourth day, two great lights to separate the night and the day are created. These are likely to be the sun and the moon. God also creates all of the stars, and states that the sun and the moon shall mark sacred times, days and years. The fifth day sees God create the creatures of the water below and the vault (sky) above. He then blesses them and calls for them to "be fruitful and increase in number". The sixth and final day of creation sees the creation of the beasts of the land, and finally of mankind in God's own image. Again, God calls for both men and the beasts of the land to "be fruitful and increase in number". He also grants all of the plants and the fruits to be the food of the living creatures of the world, whilst granting man, both male and female, rule over all the creatures of the earth. God then looks back over His creation, and sees all of it as "very" good. This is a contrast to the recurring "And God saw that it was good" seen throughout the other verses. Analysis The story of creation is one that has divided mankind, especially in the modern day. Not only is the division prominent between believer and unbeliever, but so too is there division between believers themselves. These debates range from the definition of "day" to allegorical and literal interpretations. In brief, the day debate regards whether the entirety of creation occurred over six twenty-four hour days (that is, days as we understand them) or if "days" are representative of a larger space of time. The allegorical and literal debate stems from whether we are to take the Bible completely literally or find meaning through its stories. Importantly, allegorical interpretations seek to find meaning through the Bible through the lens of examining the genre of mythology; that is, allegorical interpretations would state that Genesis details the creation "myth", and that it does not then detail the exact science of creation. Literal interpretations would instead argue that the earth was created in exactly six days and in the order shown in the Bible. Ultimately, belief in analogy, literalism, or either side of the day debate will not be of consequence. Instead, it is important to examine what exactly it is that the text is trying to say. There are thematic ties in the order of creation, seen by examining the days in the following way: Day One - Day Four Day Two - Day Five Day Three - Day Six. Days one, two and three all deal with the forming of the earth itself, primarily by separation. First, there is the separation of light and darkness, followed by the two seas via the sky, and finally the land and the "under" sea, as well as the vegetation of the land. Days four, five and six deal with the creation in these three areas. First, there is the creation of the stars in the sky to separate the light and the darkness. Afterwards, there is the creation of the creatures of the sky and the sea, and finally, the creation of the beasts of the land and of mankind on land. Thus, day four involves the creation of things relating to what was formed in day one. Day five sees the sea and the sky, formed on the second day, filled with creatures. Finally, day six sees day three's land populated with creatures and, of course, with mankind. There is a nice thematic flow of creation in that sense. Mankind, called to rule over all else, is made last. If they were made earlier, it would have been odd, given there was nothing to rule over (except vegetation). Each of the first three days also involve the expansion of something created the previous day (except day one, of course). Day two sees the creation of the vault (sky) which will eventually hold the lights to seperate "day" and "night". Day three takes the under water, separated on day two, and sees it split to allow for land. What Does It All Mean? Whether you take it literally, allegorically, or otherwise, Genesis 1 shows God's plan for mankind; that is, to rule over all other things that God has created on earth. We are made in the image of God, and much as He rules over the universe, so are we to rule over the Earth. Therefore, it is my belief that Genesis 1 asks us to realise the following important truths: # God is the creator of the universe. Whether it was literally six days and in that order or not is not pertinent to this fact. # Mankind's place is to rule and work the earth. We are thus incredibly blessed in our position. Category:Genesis Category:Old Testament